ALBION suffered a chastening afternoon on the road as Peterborough United ran out 4-0 victors at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Posh showed why they are amongst the leading scorers in the division with some clinical finishing from Joel Randall and Ephron Mason-Clark sending them in at half time two to the good before an unfortunate own goal from Cole Stockton and a close-range finish from Kwame Poku secured a comfortable win for Darren Ferguson’s men.

With injuries biting into the Brewers defence, Tom Hamer the latest casualty from Tuesday’s victory over Mansfield, there was a full Brewers debut for seventeen-year-old Academy skipper Will Tamen at the heart of the defence. After just a substitute appearance earlier this season in the EFL Trophy against Everton under-21s, Tamen was given a first Brewers start alongside skipper Deji Oshilaja and Ryan Sweeney in a reshaped backline. Jake Caprice and Steve Seddon reverted to wing-back roles with Rekeem Harper getting a first league start since August, with Ciaran Gilligan and Mark Helm alongside him in midfield. Beryly Lubala and Cole Stockton were tasked with finding the goals.

Stockton fired in an early long-range effort before Posh settled down and launched a raid down their left that Albion managed to scramble clear.

But when the attack came from the right-hand side through Peter Kioso the ball found its way all the way across the area where RANDALL calmly slotted in.

That side of the pitch almost proved profitable for the hosts just before the quarter of an hour mark. This time winger Kwame Poku delivering a curling cross to the back post where Ephron Mason-Clark, looking suspiciously offside, rose well but headed back across goal and agonisingly wide of the post.

Lubala and Stockton almost combined for a chance to equalise on 25 minutes, but Peterborough continued to look the more threatening, particularly through Kioso and Poku down their right.

Max Crocombe made a fine save to his right to deny Poku as Posh threatened to pass their way through and grab a second goal.

After the game went through something of a quiet phase the home side sprung into life again just before half time. Gilligan received the ball, under pressure in midfield and was dispossessed allowing a rapid break that resulted in MASON-CLARK slotting home.

Albion were close to something of a lifeline in first half stoppage time when Oshilaja challenged Posh keeper Nicholas Bilokapic and the ball broke loose for Stockton who saw his effort blocked on the line by Harrison Burrows.

HALF TIME: PETERBOROUGH UNITED 2-0 BURTON ALBION

Two changes at half time saw Josh Walker and Kwadwo Baah introduced to bring some pace to the wide areas in place of Lubala and Gilligan.

Baah used his pace and power to try and get Albion up the pitch more in the early stages of the second half but things got even harder when a low cross from the right cannoned off STOCKTON and past Crocombe at his near post for Posh’s third of the afternoon.

It was four on 66 minutes when Burrows swung in a cross, and POKU was able to throw himself at the ball and divert it in from close range.

Stockton and Harper were replaced quickly afterwards as Mason Bennett and Josh Gordon were sent on.

Baah burst into life on 72 minutes with a surging run that resulted in Bilokapic having to make a good save high to his right.

A final change saw Helm depart as Mustapha Carayol came on for the closing minutes.

Any chance of a consolation goal evaporated when Baah got in behind and puled the ball back for Walker but his flicked effort was cleared inside the six yard box and a similar chance for Gordon, in added time, saw the ball squirt over the angle of post and bar.

The afternoon was summed up when Albion had a four on two situation in the dying seconds and Bennett saw his effort cannon back off the post.

ALBION: Crocombe; Tamen, Sweeney, Oshilaja; Caprice, Gilligan (Walker, 46), Harper (Bennett, 67), Helm (Carayol, 84), Seddon; Lubala (Baah, 46), Stockton (Gordon, 67).

Substitutes: Blackman, Kamwa.

GOALS: POSH – Randall (6), Mason-Clark (44), Stockton (61 pwn goal), Poku (66)

Referee: Ed Duckworth